Veni Angelus
by protejerinnocencia
Summary: Harry and Hermione teach their son the meaning of Christmas.


**Veni Angelus**

**  
**Snow swirled outside the modest house in the heart of Surrey. The streetlight out front slowly flickered on as darkness began to overtake the town. Inside the house a small family was gathered in the sitting area. A stout evergreen was situated in the corner near the front window. Inside a man in his mid twenties had an electrical cord slung over his shoulder as he crawled around behind the tree.

"Harry, be careful," Hermione chided as she began unwrapping ornaments.

"I am," her husband called from behind the large tree as he plugged the cord into the outlet.

The tree lit up with multi-colored and white lights. Harry crawled backwards and stood up to admire his handiwork. He turned to his wife and reached behind her to grab a package of ornaments. Just then a small boy around the age of 4 came running into the room towards the tree, his dark brown eyes glittering with excitement. Harry tossed the ornaments back onto the couch just in time to scoop the child up in his arms.

"Where are you going so fast little man?" the young father asked of his squirming son.

"Tree is up!" the boy squealed.

"Yes it is. Now we have to be gentle with it," Hermione said as she carefully placed an ornament on a branch out of the boy's reach.

"Hermione, he's four years old. He won't hurt it," Harry retorted, setting his son down on his feet.

"Me help," the boy cried as he tried to take a glass figurine from his father's hand.

"Let daddy do this one," he said and hung he glittering figure high in the tree.

"Here baby. You can put this one on," Hermione said as she handed him an embroidered bear with a red heart with the name Alex in it.

The boy toddled over to the tree and with the help of his mother, slid the object around a branch. He beamed at it and spun it around with his small pointer finger. Harry reached above him and hung a fluttering golden snitch. Alexander giggled at the twitching golden ball.

"Do you want to put more on Alex?" Hermione asked softly to which her son nodded vigorously.

Slowly the tree filled with baubles and other assorted trinkets that the couple had collected over the few short years of their marriage and some from their last year at Hogwarts. Alex enjoyed tossing about the paper that the ornaments were wrapped in. This kept him occupied until he found the bag of tinsel. His eyes sparkled with mischief. He began to try and open the bag. He grunted as his small hands failed to achieved the results he wanted.

"Not yet son," Harry said with a smirk as he watched the little boy try to open the package.

"I want to do it now," he protested, throwing the bag on the ground and pouting.

"Alexander you do not throw things," Hermione chided, her hands on her hips.

At the reprimand, the boy began to cry, his cheeks and nose growing red. Harry sighed and picked up his sobbing offspring, setting him on lap and rocking him back and forth. Once Alex's sobs had quieted some, Harry spoke.

"Remember we talked about being patient and waiting our turn?" he murmured.

Alex nodded with a sniffle.

"Well we have to wait until Mummy's done putting on the rest of the ornaments ok?" he informed the boy.

Alex nodded and looked at him mother. He pushed himself off of his father's lap and clung to his mother's calves.

"I'm sorry Mummy," he said, his voice muffled slightly by the fabric of her jeans.

"Thank you baby," she said, bending down to hug him.

After about ten minutes the trio was flinging glittery tinsel on the tree. Alex ended up with a great deal of it on himself which he found delightful. Harry enjoyed it was well, using him as a tinsel dispenser when he ran out. He would tickle the four-year-old to the ground until he could get a grip on some and would then pull it off. Hermione simply shook her head at their antics. Finally as the clock struck nine o'clock, they sat down to admire their handiwork. Harry had levitated a blinking gold star on top of the tree and the lights glowed merrily.

"Time for bed," Hermione announced as the last chime echoed in the room.

"Do I have to?" Alex begged, gripping his mother's arm.

"It's already past your bedtime," Harry answered before his wife could.

With a sigh the little boy climbed out of his mother's lap and trudged off towards his room. Harry followed him, settling him into bed. After a quick bedtime story and a hug and kiss from both his parents, Alex was sound asleep.

Several weeks past and the Christmas rush was upon Surrey. The mad rush of last minute shopping was as always avoided in the Potter household. Gifts had been bought months in advance and all that was left was to wrap them. Harry was off at work and thus Hermione was taking her free time to wrap his gifts. Alexander sat beside her playing with his toy train.

"Mummy, Papa Christmas going to bring Daddy more presents?" Alex questioned as he looked at his mother.

"Maybe," Hermione answered as she tied the final ribbon around Harry's last present.

"I hope he doesn't forget my new train," Alex continued.

"And a broom just like Daddy's," he exclaimed.

"I'm sure he won't forget," his mother answered only half-heartedly.

Her son's attachment to material goods and the idea of Father Christmas worried Hermione. She and Harry had decided before Alex was born that they would teach and raise their children with the true meaning of Christmas. She gathered the wrapped gifts and stored them in her drawer before ushering the child out of the room for an afternoon snack. That evening after Harry had come home and dinner had been served, the couple sat in the kitchen while Alex watched a programme on television.

"Hermione?" Harry called.

"Hmm?" she answered, looking up from her book.

"Something's wrong. What is it?" her husband prodded, taking the book from his wife's hands.

She let out a huff before answering his question.

"Alex is way too focused on Father Christmas and getting gifts," she answered, running a hand through her wavy chestnut hair.

"Hermione. He's four years old for Merlin's sake," Harry exclaimed.

"Still, Harry we made a decision regarding the upbringing of our children and right now it looks like we're doing a very poor job at following through," Hermione retorted.

"You're right dear," he said in resignation. He knew better than to argue with her.

The pair headed into the sitting room where Alexander was sitting contently watching the television. Hermione bent down and picked her son up, pulling him into her lap as Harry went to the bookshelf and pulled out a thin book. He joined his wife and son on the couch, clicking the television off.

"Show not over yet," Alex protested.

"Daddy and I want to read you a story," Hermione explained.

"Story!" the boy exclaimed happily, settling himself into his mother's lap even more.

Harry ruffled his son's hair and smiled at him as he showed the child the cover of the book. It read "The First Christmas". Alexander's eye lit up with excitement. He loved Christmas stories. He made his parents read them all every year but he was sure he hadn't seen this one before.

"Everyone ready?" Harry asked as he opened the book to the first page. He was greeted with two nods.

"A long time ago in the town of Bethlehem, a young man named Joseph was traveling with Mary, the young woman he was going to marry," Harry began, showing his son the drawing of Joseph and Mary on a camel.

"They came from a faraway place called Galilee because the King had said that everyone had to give money in the town where they were born," he continued.

"Now, Mary was with child and she was due any day now," Harry explained, pointing to the young woman's round belly.

"She having a baby?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered with a smile as she kissed the top of the boy's head.

"When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem they looked for a place to stay for the night where Mary could have her baby. They found an inn but there was no room left," Harry read on.

"But the inn keeper took pity on them and told them he had a spot in the barn and that it was warm. So Mary had her baby in a barn in Bethlehem and she wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger," Harry continued, letting Alex see the book and look at the picture.

"Far away in the fields there were three shepherds watching over their sheep," Hermione said, taking the book from her husband and continuing the tale.

"Suddenly there was an angel in the sky and the shepherds were very afraid for they had never seen an angel before," she continued.

"The angel said 'Don't be scared. I bring you great news of a great joy. This day in Bethlehem is born to all mankind a savior. Go and find him. He will be wrapping in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger'," Hermione read and paused to let the child in her lap see the picture.

"The shepherds did as the angel had said and went to Bethlehem in search of the baby in the manger. They found many mangers but no baby laying in them. Finally they found the right one and fell on their knees in awe and amazement," the former Gryffindor read as her son gazed at the drawing of the shepherds kneeling at the manger.

"That night Jesus, the son of God had been born and he would do great things," she concluded and shut the book.

"Read it again!" Alex exclaimed, bouncing up and down on his mother's lap.

"Tomorrow night," she said and put the book on the table next to her.

"Did you like that story?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"Jesus was born on Christmas. It's his birthday," Alex said with the biggest smile that would fit across his cheeks.

"Yes it is. And that's why we celebrate Christmas," Hermione added.

"The presents we give and get are remembering Jesus' love for everyone," Harry explained.

Hermione looked at the clock and saw it was time for bed for the four-year-old. She stood him on his feet and ushered him off to get him ready for the night. Harry picked up the book and brought it into Alex's room and set it on his night table. Shortly thereafter Hermione and Alex entered the room and the child climbed into bed. Harry sat on the edge of Alex's bed and Hermione joined him. Harry pulled a slip of paper from her shirt pocket and unfolded it.

"From now on we're going to start saying a little prayer Daddy found in one of Grammy's prayer books," Harry announced.

Alex bowed his head and clasped his hands together. Hermione and Harry placed the paper between them and began to read. In time Alex would join them but for now it was good enough for him to listen.

"_Veni Angelus, veni Jesu, veni Deus, fortune mihi sulum nox noctis_," they read in unison.

"Come angels, come Jesus, come God, bless me each night," Harry translated as he kissed his son goodnight. The couple crept from the room as their son fell asleep with visions of angels and shepherds dancing in his dreams.


End file.
